I'll start off with saying that I do not/have not posted very often, but have been on this board for many, many years and I love that it exists. I just wanted to start a thread and hear some other opinions for what people think on this subject just for the fun of it, if nothing else. I have been playing some older Frank Black stuff, (TOTY, Orange, SMYT, Pistol, etc), and I just started to think about those times when those records were new and what they meant at the time, what I got out of them and if I was trying to relate them to the Pixies. For myself, I will admit that I always tried to link them to all of the previous Pixies stuff, that's just the way I listen to music, bad or good. Now, here we are with Head Carrier and I love it personally, and not necessarily for any reasons listed above. I just think it has a lot of great tunes that you can rock out on. Overall, it is my opinion that the record in general is Frank Black with female backing. So, let's hear just some "bare-bones" opinions on how the Head Carrier songs remind, sound, or remind anybody of previous Frank Black or Pixies grit. Here it is for me:

Head Carrier - One of my favorites, sounds like a Frank Black song not PixiesClassic Masher - Again, great song, but it does not remind me of older PixiesBaals Back - People criticize this album version, but I love it. Again, I think it could fit on an earlier Frank Black record.Might As Well Be Gone - This does remind me of the Pixies, particularly TLM.Oona - Without question sounds like an earlier Frank Black tune with female backing. I guess that's why so many here hold it high. Good song to me, but it does not move me like other's...sorry.Talent - this absolutely reminds me of older Pixies stuff, I don't thinks there is any doubt. Cool song.Tenement Song - This one is another great, great song. Some cool little segments that definitely bring some Bossanova qualities back for me.Bel Esprit - Sounds to me like a Pixies song, but more mature somehow. It's nice and catchy.All I Think About Now - Pixies, Kim Deal, the Breeders. I don't hate on this song, but there are some things about it that some could, and I understand.Um Chagga Lagga - come on, classic Pixies.Plaster of Paris - Pixies all the way, TLM song for me.All the Saints - This one to me can go either way. I have heard quite a few FB b-sides and Pixies b-sides that this reminds me of. I don't particularly like it as a close myself, ymmv.

Great thread and I really enjoyed reading your thoughts, especially on those older fbf albums. Like you, I often find myself relating everything from Orange on to the 1.0, because that's where I first heard the man.

It would be easy for me to say that nothing on HC reminds me of 1.0, but then when I think about it, very little of Trompe reminds me of Surfer. My tendency to think of 1.0 monolithic-ly is probably off base.

I think of IC as a subpar fbf album and HC as a really good fbf album. Last Pixies album for me was the first half of Bossanova.

The genius of this man can be seen in the divided opinions over HC songs. You said Talent reminds you of older Pixies and there are lifelong Pixies fans on here who absolutely loathe Talent, so there you go.

Might As Well Be Gone does not remind me at all of TLM, I found the song boring and choruses lame. The verse could remind me a bit of Is She Weird...Talent, Tenement, Bel Esprit... are not Pixies 1.0 at all to my ears. They sound too much "major chord" and are more related to Another Toe (though much better) and the Foo Fighters aesthetics.I love Plaster of Paris, but it sounds more surf music than TLM for me (maybe related to Navajo?)Oona , to me again, sounds more Pixies than any stuff FB has ever tried to reach since Los Angeles

As already mentioned by many, HC is mostly praised here, but there's no consensus at all on the best tracks or on its place in the legacy